Grace in Action: Paul's Example of Servanthood

By Dean Collins

It wasn’t just rhetoric when Paul said he was the least of the apostles or unworthy to be called an apostle. It was humility and spiritual maturity that allowed the apostle Paul to share his thoughts with such transparency.

Technically, Paul did not meet all the tests of apostleship. In the first chapter of Acts, we find the list of the apostles who were following the instructions Jesus had given them to wait for the Holy Spirit before they took their next step of going into all the world and discipling the nations. The discipleship initiative and the spreading of the gospel to all nations was an assignment for all believers. But 12 were chosen as apostles who would do the work of establishing the church as the vehicle God would use in his grand spiritual formation plan for the world.

In Acts 1:13 we find the names of 11 of the 12 apostles: 

“…Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James...”

Later in the first chapter we learn that the apostles were trying to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. The replacement for Judas was to be someone who had been a witness to his resurrection and who had been with Jesus the length of time the other apostles had been with Jesus. The timeframe, according to Acts, was someone who began following Jesus from the baptism of John until Jesus ascended to heaven. Two were brought forward who met the criteria: Joseph, called Barsabbas, and Matthias. Their final selection was Matthias.

You know the story. The Holy Spirit did fall on the apostles on the day of Pentecost and the church exploded in growth. Later, when Saul had his Damascus road experience, we learn in Acts 13 and in Galatians 1 that he was also set aside as an apostle, even though he didn’t meet the exact criteria. He wasn’t a witness to the resurrection, but Jesus did appear to Paul at his conversion. 

All through Paul’s life and ministry work as an apostle, he ran into people who questioned his role. He was questioned from those inside and outside the church. Since the early church fathers and beyond, the church has accepted Paul as not only an apostle but likely the apostle who did the most in expanding the mission of the church throughout the known world and beyond. His writings and testimony impact us even today.

The definition of the word for apostle indicates that an apostle is one who is sent out. Paul took his apostleship seriously, yet in 1 Corinthians he said that he was the least of the apostles and even unworthy to be called an apostle. Paul went on to say that it was God’s grace that both established his identity, and by God’s grace he did the work that he was called to do. Paul said it this way:

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

I have been in the church my entire life. At age 15 I knew that God was calling me to kingdom service. Now in the latter half of my sixties, I have worked and served in many different leadership roles. I have often heard leaders in the church give testimony that it is only by God’s grace that they can do what they do. But I have far too often seen leaders who act like they are entitled to be in their various roles of Christian leadership. Their words and their behavior are not aligned. 

Paul’s description of how he saw himself is a beautiful reminder to each one of us to emulate him. Just four chapters before Paul said that he was the least of the apostles and unworthy of the title, he said this:

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (11:1)

Paul’s words in chapter 15 appear to be proof that Paul was in fact imitating Jesus, who Paul would describe in Philippians this way:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (2:5-8)

Paul took on the humility of Christ and lived his life based on the mercy and grace he received from the Lord Jesus. The apostle Paul was not only willing to endure, but he actually endured rejection, abuse, and beatings as he imitated the Christ who had saved him and transformed him through the grace of God.

I don’t know what God has called you to do in life or today specifically. I do know that at my root and at your root of sin, we are surely not worthy of the name of Christ, except in and through the grace of God. Paul did not earn his salvation and neither do we. But when we have received the marvelous and overwhelming grace of God, it does seem appropriate to work hard to follow the commands of Jesus, spreading his gospel far and wide, even to the ends of the earth. As we reach for those faraway places, may we never forget our responsibility to share the good news of Jesus with the person next door or who might be sitting in the next office.

Father, with the apostle Paul we acknowledge that we cannot earn our way into your kingdom, and our salvation and our calling is all through the grace of God. Today, we surrender to you and ask that you show us someone we can serve with humility and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
1 Corinthians 15:9-10; Acts 1:21-26, Acts 13:2-3; Galatians 1:1 ESV

Photo by Kirill Pershin on Unsplash
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